How to Save up for an American Girl Doll

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Lots of girls love dolls! An American Girl Doll is probably number one on your wishlist. But with a price tag of over $100, it can be tough to afford for a kid. If your parents won't buy you one, impress them by saving up and buying it yourself! Here's how to do it.

Find out how much the doll you want costs. The American Girl Doll cost $115 with out the accessories( with accessories about $135[1]. Go to their website, find which one you want, and write down how much it costs. That's the amount of money you need to obtain.

Add any accessories to that cost. Beware about getting too many accessories, though. The price will quickly rise.

Shipping will cost some extra money, but you can try to convince your parents to pay for that.

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Count how much money you have. Look in your wallet, check your piggy bank, and search the cracks of your couch for change. Once you have all your money, subtract that from the total cost of the doll you want. That's your target!

Say you find that you have $28.50 and the doll you want with its accessories is $135.

As you start to make money, remember not to spend it! The key to saving is not spending. You've made a goal to save enough for an American Girl Doll. Don't waste your money on small things you don't want as much.

Ask your parents for a weekly allowance. Even $5-10 dollars a week can help a lot in your goal to buy an American Girl Doll. Most parents give their kids an allowance of some kind. Talk to your parents about what kind of allowance is best for you.

Tell your parents what you want the money for. Remind them that you're saving it and they'll be impressed with your budgeting skills. They may also be willing to increase your allowance if they know you have a goal in mind.

Offer to do chores for an allowance. This is the best way to earn money as a kid. Your parents can't do all the housework, so they may be willing to pay for your help. Think about your parents' least favorite chores and offer to do those chores for them.

For instance, offer to wash the dishes, sweep and vacuum the floor, walk the dogs, babysit your brother or sister, mow the lawn etc... The more specific you are with your suggestions the better.

Do your chores regularly! Be thorough and don't cut corners. At the end of the day you can smile knowing you've earned your money!

Ask your parents to reward you for good grades. If they agree, fulfill your side of the bargain and bring home a shining report card! Not only do you get the satisfaction of good grades, you get paid too. Do your homework and study hard, and at the end you'll be smarter and have an American Girl Doll!

For instance, if you get straight A's, you get $10. For a perfect homework, you get $1. For an improved grade in a subject—like a B to an A in math—you get another $2. The exact prices are up to your parents, but you get the idea.

You should do your best in school regardless of whether or not you get paid. Schoolwork always comes first.

Decide what kind of work you'd be willing to do. You can petsit, babysit, tutor, or do yard work for family friends and neighbors depending on your age if you are old enough. You may not be suited for all that work, so narrow down what you want to do. Even though you may not want to work, remember how much you want that American Girl Doll! In the end it will be worth it.

Ask around to find people to work for. You can't find work without people to work for. Knock on your neighbors' doors and ask family friends if they have any work they need done. Be sure to sell yourself as a responsible and hard-working kid.

Have a rate in mind, but wait to talk about it. If you do good work, they'll pay you a fair price.

Be respectful. Not everybody wants work done. If they don't want to hire you, don't press the issue.

Ask your parents before starting, and let them know where you are at all times.

Post flyers in your neighborhood. Make sure they're in an area where people will see it, like a bulletin board or on a busy street corner. Put your phone number, name, and the work you want to do. Then wait for somebody to call you!

Make slips with your number on it so people can take your information on the go.

Make your flyer colorful and visually appealing. Pictures and big, bold fonts are good. Convey as much information in as few words as possible.

Do your job! If you get a job, do your best work. The better your work, the more they'll pay you and the more likely they are to ask for you again. Hopefully word will spread and soon enough everybody will be asking for you!

Click 'checkout'! Have you parents enter their credit card information and order the doll. Repay them with the money you saved and make sure you say thank you. After all they are the one who ordered it online with their credit card!

If your parents don't want to order the doll, have them drive you to the American Girl store if they are willing to or wait for another time that you could go. Once your parents buy the doll, remember to pay them back and say thanks!

Now that you have your American Girl Doll, take care of it and have fun! You've earned it. Remember that you can use this method to buy anything else you want, including more accessories or clothes for your brand new doll.

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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 57 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.